There’s a common misconception that indoor cats don’t need distemper shots because they’re indoor cats. It doesn’t matter if they live in the suburbs, a city apartment, or in the country, your cat can still get exposed and distemper is not curable and highly deadly.
It can kill kittens in the womb while a cat is pregnant, and adult cats that get infected through viral particles spreading. There is no standard treatment as the symptoms vary so your veterinarian will treat the symptoms individually rather than the disease as a single disorder.
For example if your cat is dehydrated (one of the most common symptoms) they’ll likely get an IV drip, other cases may need antibiotics, and some may need plasma and blood transfusions. The bottom line is that indoor cats can be at risk just like outdoor cats and it is not worth taking that risk.
Warning - If your cat has been infected or is showing symptoms of feline distemper, treatment should begin within 48 hours of infection according to WebMD, so contact your veterinarian immediately.
Here’s 5 ways your indoor cat can catch distemper which will hopefully help motivate you to protect them with a simple, safe, and effective vaccination.
Apartment Cats in the Hallway
City cats are notorious for running out into a hallway and roaming when the owner opens a door. All it takes is for them to come in contact with a neighbor’s dog who has been exposed and is carrying, or for a neighbor dog to run into your apartment or condo.
And it isn’t the sniffing or sneezes in this case, distemper can be transmitted through urine, feces, and bodily fluids if a neighbor’s animal or a visiting animal had an accident in the hall and your cat goes to explore it.
Friends Petting Your Cat
Everyone loves the opportunity to pet a cat, because the opportunities don’t happen unless you’re “their human.” This opportunity comes at a risk as distemper can transfer on clothing and through petting.
If your house guests like to pet each dog while out enjoying the day, or even the neighbor’s dogs, or they volunteer with rescues, not cleaning and changing their clothes before engaging with your cat could transfer distemper to them.
A Flea Bite at the Groomer or On a Walk
Yes, flea bites can spread distemper to cats from cats that have been infected. If you’re taking your cat for a grooming appointment and an infected animal was in there, or going for a walk in a stroller or backpack and they get exposed, the flea bite can give your cat distemper.
Water Bowls With Dogs and Animals
This disease can spread through water bowls, so if your cat is sharing water, food, and other types of places where dogs, racoons, and animals come in contact, they can be exposed. For example if you take your dog to a park and they drink water from a community station, they can bring distemper home to your cat.
Vaccinated Animals Can Carry Distemper
The chance is much slimmer for vaccinated dogs and animals to carry distemper, but they can carry it. And when the animal carries it, they can spread it. We mentioned dog parks above, this applies here too.
If your dog is playing at the park and they catch or carry distemper, they can spread it to other dogs. And if they catch it there or carry it home, they can give it to your cat.
The vaccination for distemper is your felines first line of defense. Here’s a study where they vaccinated young dogs and distemper still showed up. There’s countless others, so vaccination is the best way to protect both your dogs and cats, and this includes indoor cats.
As you can see distemper does and can infect indoor cats just like outdoor ones that love to roam. This is why all cats should be vaccinated for distemper when they visit their veterinarian so they can have a strong line of defense if they ever come in contact with the disease.
And contact can be things you don’t think of like a cage, bedding, clothing from friends, and if you ever have to take your cat on a plane and they go through a screening process.
